


Requited Serenade

by Baku



Category: Homestuck
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe - High School, Gen, Insecurities, M/M, Puppy Love, perfect boyfriends
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-23
Updated: 2013-10-23
Packaged: 2017-12-30 05:40:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,150
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1014799
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Baku/pseuds/Baku
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“What the hell do you think you’re doing, you dumbass!” Karkat screeched, his fingers tightening their grip. “You’re gonna fall off and crack your fucking skull open!”</p><p>“No, I’m not.” John huffed, leaning forward and winking. “I trust you.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	Requited Serenade

**Author's Note:**

> Not much to say, except that this pairing needs more love. So, here you go. ^^

High overhead, clouds danced and twirled, shifting forms into fantastical shapes in a blue sky that went on forever. The car’s windshield was cool against John’s back through his hoodie, while a warm breeze kissed the side of his face and Karkat’s fingers twined with his own between them.

John tilted his head a fraction, and watched his boyfriend out of the corner of his eye. Karkat’s dark, messy hair, and the bags always under his eyes from late night gaming sessions. The way the spot between his eyebrows would crinkle when he talked about his newest video game and all the “deeper meanings” that people just didn’t seem to see where there. All of these things always settled in John’s chest, made it feel tight enough that he couldn’t breathe and so light that he thought he could just float away at any moment.

Karkat’s eyes flicked over to John, and then away just as fast when he realised the other was already looking at him, a flush creeping up his neck from under his dark t-shirt. John felt his lips twitch, a smile coming in even as he squeezed his lover’s hand before letting go and swinging up and over onto the dark-haired boy’s lap.

His boyfriend squawked and threw his hands up, grabbing John’s hips as he settled with his knees on either side of Karkat’s ribs.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing, you dumbass!” Karkat screeched, his fingers tightening their grip. “You’re gonna fall off and crack your fucking skull open!”

“No, I’m not.” John huffed, leaning forward and winking. “I trust you.”

The dark-haired boy’s head turned away, making his hair fall over his face, but John could still see the blush that had covered his cheeks as Karkat mumbled something in reply.

“What was that?”

Another murmur.

“Karkat…” John said, drawing out the middle syllable into a whole new sound and flinched back when his boyfriend’s fierce eyes grabbed his own as he whipped his head back to face John.

“I said you goddamn shouldn’t! Alright?!”

Silence hung between them, heavy and stifling.

John bit his lip slightly, worrying it with his buck teeth. He’d noticed Karkat was tenser than normal when he’d flopped into his boyfriend’s car after school, arms laden with textbooks. Karkat was always pretty wound up after a long week at school, between trying to deal with his rough home-life and the kids at school who weren’t too nice much of the time.

“…What happened?” John asked. He knew it could’ve only happened in gym class, the last of the day for his boyfriend. That was the only time they were separated, and John knew Karkat had been fine before in chemistry.

“It doesn’t matter.” Dark eyes darted away again, tight and slightly red. “People are assholes, and let’s leave it at that.”

John sat there for a moment, a cold feeling coming over him even in the late May heat, then reached forward and flicked Karkat’s nose with as much force as his finger could produce.

“Gack!” His boyfriend shouted, hands going from John’s hips to cover his own face from further assault. “What was that for, you ass?!”

John just watched, his eyes serious for once behind his glasses. Gone was the good student whom all the teacher’s adored and all the kids flocked to for being such a fun guy. Instead, the boy who could take a guy twice his size with his taekwondo training sat astride his boyfriend, his look determined and cool.

They stayed like that for what seemed like forever, eyes locked and neither willing to back down, until Karkat blinked and looked away with a deep sigh.

“I’m not good for you.” He said, slowly moving his hands back down to his boyfriend’s hips. John stayed quiet. “You’re an awesome student, you’re great at everything you do. Then there’s me.” The corners of Karkat’s mouth tightened as he remembered the words thrown at him in the boy’s locker room. “I’m a nobody. I can’t do sports, I can barely get a good grade to save my life. You deserve much better than me. You shouldn’t settle…”

John watched him for a moment longer, before dipping forward and wrapping his arms around Karkat soflty.

“I don’t settle.” He whispered, his face pressed into his boyfriend’s chest. “I’ve always been the way I am. If I want something, I go for it.” He remembered the first day he’d met Karkat, the first day of grade ten. John had always been one to just let things happen relationship-wise before then. He’d never really been that into the girls he’d dated before, no matter how hot his friends claimed they were.

Then, he’d seen the new student with the funny name. Dark hair with bags under his eyes, snappy and taking no shit from anyone, and something in John had gone _oh, so that’s why_.

“I chose you, Karkat.” _And you chose me, too_.

Karkat’s hands came up slowly, trembling slightly as they went around John’s back, holding him as if he might disappear like smoke.

“…Will you go to Prom with me?”

John tensed, and then laughed quietly, everything letting go with a rush of relief.

“Of course I will.”

It was quiet for a time before John lifted his head so his nose brushed the other’s chin.

“…Are you going to dress to match me?”

“What?!” Karkat shoved him off unceremoniously, rolling to the side of car hood and over. “You moron! Oh my god, I hate you so fucking much!”

John twisted to his side, grinning as he watched his now prom-date stride as quickly as he could to the edge of the lot, tripping every few feet in his hurry to get away. “Don’t forget you need to get me a corsage, Karkat!”

“Hate you!” was his strangled reply.

With his face turned away from John, Karkat let a small smile creep onto his face.

 

* * *

 

 

There was music filtering softly down the hall. Balloons and glow sticks twined with streamers hanging on the walls of the school, leading all those walking by them to the main event.

Karkat fiddled with his suit collar, growling and snarling. “We look like morons.”

John laughed, batting his date’s hands away so he could fix it for him. “I happen to think that blue and red match quite nicely.” The sour look his boyfriend gave him told him exactly what he thought about that.

The music in the gym changed as the next requested song began to play, quiet and then soaring with a violin and piano duet.

“Hey, that’s our song.” John murmured, looking down the hall with a confused look on his face.

“I know.” Karkat ginned crookedly.

John whooped and grabbed his boyfriend’s hand, weaving their fingers and dragging him down to the gym, where they entered with their heads held high.


End file.
